Upcoming Mi 9 Explorer Edition features similar transparent back as the previous edition. — AFP Relaxnews
The Xiaomi CEO announced Feb 18 via Weibo that the company is bringing back the transparent smartphone design for the Mi 9 Explorer Edition, but this time, they're being honest about the authenticity of the visible components.
Last year, Xiaomi launched the Mi 8 Explorer Edition, a smartphone with a transparent back revealing the interior circuitry that the company initially tried to play off as the as the real deal. Fast-forward a few months after the release, however, and it became clear that the visible machinery was actually fake – the real functioning components could be found under this imposter sheet of aluminum.
Though designing a mock board complete with an artificial SoC and non-electrically connected components seems like frivolous work and perhaps even a waste of precious space, it must have been well received because the next generation of the handset will feature a similar design.
On Feb 18 Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun shared images of the upcoming device on his Weibo account explicitly admitting that the circuit board on display beneath the see-through cover is just an imitation; in fact, the post "explains the complicated process of carving a 0.3mm aluminum sheet with all fake components". A Qualcomm Snapdragon logo is still visible even though the chip isn't real.
Apart from the exterior design, Jun further said that the new Explorer Edition will come with a "7-piece lens", a 48MP rear AI camera, and 12GB of RAM.
The Mi 9 Explorer Edition launches Feb 20. – AFP Relaxnews
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